Please create an account to cast your vote and join our community!

Strengthening Medicaid Buy-In Programs

Navigating and maintaining enrollment in work related Medicaid buy-in programs is no easy task. Many state programs provide great incentives for certain types of disabilities and low income earners, but too often those with most severe disabilities and those looking to advance in a particular career find more disincentives than incentives. Strict resource and earned income limits force enrollees to choose between work and government benefits, with the latter needed to survive. Additionally, most state programs count spousal income which punishes enrollees for getting married and promotes non-marital relationships for maintaining vital benefits. Ideas and changes to strengthen Medicaid buy-in programs need to be shared so that stakeholders across the country can start pushing decision-makers to create real incentives that work.

Transition Back to Work

Providing light duty or part-time work, and partial disability payments during the transition back to work, can encourage workers to return earlier, minimizing the likelihood they will drop out of the workforce.

It can be a huge loss to lose an employee and it may become necessary to reassign duties to other workers or even bring in a replacement. Offering employers wage subsidies for workers or for accommodations is a promising strategy for facilitating return-to-work.

10

34

Washington COHE Model

What would it take to adopt/adapt key components of the COHE model to address your state’s workers’ compensation program challenges? (Please consider the required policy changes, the key players that would need to be convinced, and the supports, resources or materials that would help address their concerns and overcome barriers.)